Kate Returns
by Reaper85
Summary: How the team react when Kate returns, set during season 5...TATE.


**Kate Returns.**

**A/N:**** ok So, it's probably no secret now that I am a massive Kate fan, and miss her a lot, I Like Ziva, but that desk she sits at will always be Kate's desk to me, the thought of Tiva is just wrong but I can't control that, personally I'd of liked to have seen TATE blossom as opposed to what's happening with Tony and Ziva, but again, no control, so this is set during Season 5, so Ziva will be in it as will be my fav director, Jen.**

**It's basically what I'd of liked to see happen during any series after Kate's death.**

**I hope you like it, just a quick one shot.**

**Long Live TATE, if only in the hearts and minds of Tate fans.**

**Thanks for sparing you're time to read this, as I said I hope you like it.**

**I do not own anything other than season 1-5 on DVD and a ball cap.**

The team walked along the tarmac of the parking lot, they all felt it strange that the first place they were to go after a team building vacation to some forest nearby, was their work place.

None of them knew the exact reason why they had been called in, or even why, all they knew was that the director had phoned Gibbs while they were driving back from there, "Fun filled" team building excursion and instructed that he head straight for the navy yard, so here they were.

They entered the building and all squeezed inside a single elevator, their spirits high, not only had they passed the team building course, but they did it with such ease that they were able to have fun while they did it, some more than others.

"When the instructor asked for a volunteer to act as though they were drowning" Abby laughed loudly as the memory of the situation returned.

"Yes, "Ducky chuckled "and young Antony pushed Timothy head first into the lake" he added with a more heartily laugh.

"And said "I think we have a volunteer"" Jimmy laughed just as the elevator burst into laughter, well, all but McGee, who simply blushed furiously and glared at Tony for the hundredth time that day.

Even Gibbs laughed along with them, not a fake or forced laugh but a real laugh, he was damn proud of his team, he'd of course let them know in his own way that he was proud of them, but if he was honest, there were no words, or actions that could truly express just how proud of them he was, he did however, find himself prouder of Tony, it had been three years since Kate had died, he knew they all missed her and thought about her often, but Tony, he knew Tony thought about her daily, he knew the only reason that he had become a better Agent and a man was only to make her proud of him.

Tony had expressed conflict when he found out that Kate was coming on board, he had been completely honest and up front with Gibbs, stating:

"It's going to cause trouble boss"

"And Why's that DiNozzo?"

"Because I like her...a lot" Tony had reasoned honestly, his face red with a shy blush as he looked down at his hands.

Gibbs had been taken aback by the confession, he and Tony had a very similar relationship to that of a father and son, just closer somehow, Tony trusted Gibbs entirely, and Gibbs, though he would never admit it, trusted Tony exactly the same.

He rose from his chair, walked around his desk and placed a fatherly hand on the younger agents shoulder, causing Tony to look up into his eyes.

"Tony, if you like her, then you'll protect her, you'll never let her down when she needs you most, and you'll always be there, and if my suspicions are true, and they normally are, she likes you too, so I really can't see how this could be a bad thing" he stated with a soft fatherly smile "Just, keep it out of the office, I know it will be hard, but try, and if she truly makes you happy...then go for it, god knows you deserve to be happy" he finished softly with a small reassuring smile.

Tony simply nodded weakly and smiled when Gibbs gave his shoulder a little squeeze, he then returned to his desk, picked up his pen and signed off on one Special Agent Catlin Todd coming aboard the team.

Though Gibbs had been right about Kate liking Tony, he had of course used his most valuable possession to confirm that... Abby, he was aware that neither of them made a move to explore their feelings for one another, and then, the day Tony had confided in him that he was going to ask Kate out on a date, she was killed.

Gibbs honestly hated God or whatever was up there for what he did to Tony, the guy was such a nice man, he'd hide behind the Phrat boy persona, but would always do the right thing, always be there for his friends whenever they needed him, he was selfless and kind, strong when everything around him was crumbling, just like Kate's death, the team had started to fall apart, and the one person who had the right to be nothing more than a sobbing heap on the floor, was the strongest, keeping them all focused, together, a team.

He was sure Tony had done his grieving at home, in private, but he'd rather he had turned to him for support.

The memories of what his senior field agent, his...son and one of his two closest friends had been through sobered and saddened him, causing his laughter to stop, Gibbs instead found himself looking across the elevator at Tony, a look of pure remorse for him, he knew he flirted with Ziva, but that was the persona, he knew that no one would ever come close to how Kate made him feel, no one would earn the Love he had for Kate.

The elevator finally reached its destination, with it's standard Bing, the doors slid open, the laughter died slightly as they exited, moving as a group, a family towards the squad room, their home away from home.

"Mr Palmer," Ducky stated with his light hearted chuckle "Next time you decided to use the foliage as a lavatory don't ask young Timothy to point out poison ivy" he laughed softly.

The team bursting into laughter again at the memory of Jimmy and McGee covered in a rash.

They rounded the corner and instantly feel silent at the sight before them, all but Ziva fell silent.

Before them stood the red headed director, she had cut her hair again, it wasn't as short as it once was, more shoulder length, it looked good, but it wasn't her hair that had stopped them in their tracks, it was the stunning bottle black haired woman beside her...it was Kate.

The reactions had been exactly what Kate had expected, she scanned each face, a small smile on her lips as she noted the mixture of emotions, shock, happiness and disbelief, all but Tonys face wore those emotions, her smile dropped into a look of concern as she noted Tonys face, he had tears rolling silently down his cheeks, he hadn't blinked since laying his eyes on her, his bottom lip shook as he took a deep breath.

"Tony" Kate breathed, her tone full of concern and fear for him.

The team tore their eyes from Kate and looked at Tony, all of them shocked at his reaction, all but Gibbs.

Tony finally moved, he walked slowly towards Kate.

"Are you..." he whispered as he reached out hand towards her.

Kate slipped her hand into his with a soft smile, her own tears filling her eyes as she watched him.

"I'm really Tony" she whispered with a watery smile, the tears that had just a moment ago, threatened to fall, ran freely down her cheeks.

Tony slipped his hand from hers, he ran it up, over her slender, tanned for arm, up over the top of her shoulder until it came to rest at the base of her neck, his thumb gently stroked the skin below her jaw line.

He locked eyes with Kate, both of them silently crying, Tony gaped her name as he suddenly pulled her into a tight hug, he wrapped his arms around her, never wanting to let her go again, she was here, she was alive and she was in his arms, where she belonged.

"I've missed you, SO, much Kate" he breathed, unable to raise his voice any higher than that.

Kate closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him, holding his tightly, she smiled at his words, the only fear that she had about returning was the fear that Tony would of moved on, she wasn't going to play it safe anymore, she wasn't going to follow Gibbs rules blindly, she could give a damn about her job that she had just gotton back, moments before the team arrived, she wanted this, she missed this, HIM.

"Tony..."

"Kate..." they both said at the same time as they pulled back slightly, holding one another at arm's length, refusing to fully let each other go.

"I Love you," Tony stated quickly "I'm in love with you, I have been since we met on air force one..."

"Alpha Foxtrot 2900" Kate corrected with a slight tearful laugh.

"What?" Tony breathed in confusion.

"It's not air force one without the president, it returns to Alpha Foxtrot 2900" Kate explained with a role of her eyes and a watery smile.

"I love you so much Kate" Tony sighed with a smile.

Kate smiled at him.

"Kiss me Tony" she whispered her watery eyes locked on his.

"Here?" Tony asked looking over her shoulder at the director who was stood with a smile, then over his shoulder at the rest of the team, his family, who wore a mixture of emotions from shock, to happiness.

"Yeah, Tony, Here" Kate smiled, he really hadn't changed and she was so grateful for that.

"Now?" Tony asked feeling very self conscious now, what if he actually sucked at kissing? What if all those woman just said he was amazing because they were in the same bed as him? God he wanted to make the world move with his first kiss with Kate, but now he was doubting himself.

"Just, Kiss me DiNozzo" Kate ordered, sounding like her old self.

Tony daren't argue or try to deflect this time, he leaned down a smile on his face at the old Kate coming through, sliding his arms tighter around her waist as his lips touched against her softly, in a very tender, loving kiss, a kiss that was in the view of all but Ziva and the director, way to long overdue.

They pulled back just enough to rest their foreheads against one another, the tips of their noses touching softly, smiles on their faces as they remained like that, Tony softly drew a small circle on the tip of Kate's nose with the tip of his, Kate's smile grew at the sensation, she quickly leaned forwards to kiss the man of her dreams again, this time more passionately, she released a small moan into his mouth as their kiss deepened.

Their kiss ending because of a sharp sudden jolt of Tonys head from where he was Gibbs slapped.

"I thought I told you to keep it out of the office" Gibbs stated with a smile as he walked by and sat at his desk.

"Sorry boss" Tony smiled at the father like figure.

"Sorry Gibbs" Kate smiled up at her boyfriend, god that felt so good to be able to actually say that Tony was her boyfriend, even if it was to herself.

She placed a quick kiss to the underside of his law.

"Were going to need another desk" McGee sighed.

"Kate can share mine" Tony smiled down at the woman he loved more than anything.

Abby finally rushed forwards and embraced Kate in a massive bear hug.

"I missed you so much Kate" she stated hugging her best friend tighter and tighter.

"I missed you too Abs" Kate laughed as she hugged her best friend back.

Tony walked to his desk and sat down, he watched with a pure smile, a smile that no one had seen since Kate's death, he watched as everyone took it in turns to hug Kate, and welcome her back, he watched Ziva introduce herself with a friendly smile and hand shake.

"Catlin, my dear" Ducky spoke up from his spot on the corner of Gibbs desk "How, exactly are you here?" he asked softly as he watched Kate walk over to Tony and drop back onto his lap, Tonys arms snaking around her waist instantly "I mean to say, I distinctly recall doing you're autopsy" he stated with a slight confused frown.

"The short version of the Story" Kate started with a smile, remembering that Gibbs hated long winded explanations "The FBI had more control over Ari than they let us believe, they were fully aware that he intended on killing either myself or Gibbs, so they switched me with a FBI agent, who had go through plastic surgery to look like me, she even went and got my tattoo done in exactly the same place" Kate explained as she leaned back into her boyfriends embrace.

"You couldn't tell me?" Tony asked in a whisper, he tried to keep his voice the same, but a slight hint of the hurt he felt managed to find its way into it.

"Tony," Kate sighed turning in his arms so she could look him in the eye "If I could I would of, if they would of let me, I would of taken you with me, there wasn't a day that I wanted to talk to you, to tell you how much I missed you and how mad you made me, but most of all how much I love you" Kate explained quickly "It hurt so much more knowing that you thought I was dead and that I was actually living just down the street from you" she added softly.

"You're living down the street from me?" Tony asked shocked, he felt disappointed in himself now; he should have known she was there.

"I saw you go for your morning run every day, saw you go to work, saw you go shopping and to the cinema" she stated sadly "I saw you every day, and I wasn't allowed to talk to you, to let you know I was alive and missing you" she finished with a distant look in her eyes as she recalled all those days of watching him try to get on with life without her.

Tony leaned forwards and kissed her softly on her cheek.

"You're here now, We're, here now, and nothing else matters" Tony smiled at her.

Kate smiled at him before she placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Welcome home Kate" Gibbs smiled as he crossed the bull pen and placed her badge, gun and ID on Tonys desk in front of her.

"Thank you Gibbs" Kate smiled up at him "It feels good to be home" she smiled as she relaxed into Tony again.

Tony pressed a kiss into her shoulder as he smiled.

For once, God or whoever was up there, was giving him the break that he desperately deserved, and for that, both Tony and Gibbs would forever be thankful.


End file.
